CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's cross country team received the NCAA Public Recognition Award after recording a perfect multiyear score of 1000 on the 2011-12 Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) Institutional Report.

The APR is a term-by-term measure of eligibility and retention for Division I student-athletes that was developed as an early indicator of eventual graduation rates.

This marks the second consecutive year the women's cross country team has obtained a perfect score. The Bearcats were recognized by the NCAA for being one of 976 teams with a multiyear APR score that ranks in the top 10 percent in their sport.

"As Bearcats, we strive to be competitive on the playing field as well as in the classroom," said women's cross country head coach Susan Seaton. "Our athletes and coaches have high expectations and we constantly talk about the importance of academic achievement and how it holds the key to great career opportunities in the future.

"It is nice to see that our group of women's cross country student-athletes has realized our high expectations. I congratulate each one of them and I am proud of the hard work they put in to their studies."

Over the last eight years, the women's cross country squad has obtained an APR score of 950 or higher six times and improved its score each of the three years prior to reaching a perfect mark in 2012.

"We are very proud of the women's cross country program and the student-athletes," said Joe Luckey, senior associate athletics director for Student-Athlete Support Services. "The 1000 score is both a compliment to the coaches and students as it reflects a high retention rate within the program over the last four years and high academic standards."

The full list of Public Recognition Awards is available here. The NCAA will release its complete public report for each school on Tuesday, June 11.